Garment for the neuro-musculo-skeletal assistance

Abstract

A garment for neuro-musculo-skeletal assistance comprising a body ( 2 ) of the garment provided with elasticity and intended to be worn by a user to adhere to a portion of the user's body and an elastic and continuous framework ( 5 ) on the body of the garment and comprising a plurality of anchoring portions ( 10 ) and a plurality of active portions ( 20; 30; 40; 50 ), each intended to coincide with respective sectors of the user's body, where the framework is structured so that, when the garment is worn by the user and the latter carries out a motor activity, the active portions deform themselves following the deformation of the respective sectors of the user's body and the anchoring portions remain substantially unchanged.

1 - 14 . (canceled) 
     
     
         15 . A garment ( 1 ) comprising:
 a body ( 2 ) of the garment having elasticity and intended to be worn by a user for adhering to a portion of the user's body;   a continuous and elastic framework ( 5 ) realized on said body of the garment and comprising a plurality of anchoring portions ( 10 ) and a plurality of active portions ( 20 ;  30 ;  40 ;  50 ), each intended to coincide with respective sectors of the user's body;   said framework being structured so that when the garment is worn by the user and the latter carries out a motor activity, the active portions ( 20 ;  30 ;  40 ;  50 ) deform themselves following the deformation of the respective sectors of the user's body and the anchoring portions ( 10 ) remain substantially unchanged;   the framework ( 5 ) being created with a resin, being placed on the inner side of the body ( 2 ) of the garment ( 1 ) and being in direct contact with the user's skin;   said garment being characterized in that the body of the garment comprises a plurality of portions provided with more compact stitches than remaining parts of the body of the garment and intended to correspond with the anchoring portions and the active portions of the framework.   
     
     
         16 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the anchoring portions are intended to coincide with respective sectors of the body so that, when the user carries out a motor activity, they change their overall surface extension by a value less than 5%, compared to the respective overall surface extension with the user's body in a relaxed condition, and wherein the active portions are intended to coincide with respective sectors of the body so that, when the user carries out a motor activity, they change their overall surface extension by a value greater than 5%, compared to the respective overall surface extension with the user's body in relaxed condition. 
     
     
         17 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the body of the garment has a first coefficient of elasticity and the framework has a second coefficient of elasticity, greater than or equal to said first coefficient of elasticity, said first coefficient of elasticity being comprised between 0.01 kgf/cm and 0.1 kgf/cm and said second coefficient of elasticity being comprised between 0.1 kgf/cm and 0.3 kgf/cm. 
     
     
         18 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 17 , wherein the body of the garment is made of fabric, said fabric having the aforesaid first coefficient of elasticity, and wherein the whole framework is made of a single material, having said second coefficient of elasticity. 
     
     
         19 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein said framework is configured according to the scheme shown in one or more of the following groups of figures: (a)  FIGS. 1 and 2 ; (b)  FIGS. 3 ,  4  and  5 ; (c)  FIGS. 6 ,  7  and  8 ; (d)  FIGS. 9 and 10 ; (e)  FIGS. 11 and 12 ; (f)  FIGS. 13 ,  14 ,  15  and  16 ; (g)  FIGS. 17 ,  18 ,  19  and  20 ; (h)  FIGS. 21 ,  22 ,  23  and  24 . 
     
     
         20 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the body of the garment has the form of a sweater and the framework ( 5 ) comprises an anchoring portion of the under acromial deltoid region of the humerus ( 11 ), an anchoring portion of the front region of the elbow ( 12 ), an active portion of the biceps muscle ( 21 ), a scapular supraspinatus active portion ( 22 ), a coracoid active portion ( 23 ), a scapular infraspinatus active portion ( 24 ) and an active portion of the latissimus dorsi muscle ( 25 ). 
     
     
         21 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the body of the garment has the form of trousers and the framework ( 5 ) comprises an under-buttock anchoring portion ( 14 ;  15 ), an active portion of the gluteus medius muscle ( 31 ;  41 ), an active portion of the tensor fasciae latae muscle ( 32 ;  42 ), an active portion of the biceps muscle ( 33 ;  43 ), an active portion of the sartorius muscle ( 34 ;  44 ), an active portion of the vastus medialis ( 35 ;  45 ), an active portion of the gracilis muscle ( 36 ;  46 ) and an active portion of the semitendinosus muscle ( 37 ;  47 ). 
     
     
         22 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 21 , wherein the body of the garment has the form of long trousers, intended to wrap the user's body from the waist to the ankles, and the framework ( 5 ) also comprises a popliteal spiral anchoring portion ( 13 ). 
     
     
         23 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the framework ( 5 ) is structured so as to have a high coefficient of friction with human skin. 
     
     
         24 . A garment ( 1 ) according to  claim 15 , wherein the garment is a garment for neuro-musculo-skeletal assistance. 
     
     
         25 . A method for producing a garment ( 1 ) comprising:
 a body ( 2 ) of the garment having elasticity and intended to be worn by a user for adhering to a portion of the user's body;   a continuous and elastic framework ( 5 ) realized on said body of the garment and comprising a plurality of anchoring portions ( 10 ) and a plurality of active portions ( 20 ;  30 ;  40 ;  50 ), each intended to coincide with respective sectors of the user's body;   said framework being structured so that when the garment is worn by the user and the latter carries out a motor activity, the active portions ( 20 ;  30 ;  40 ;  50 ) deform themselves following the deformation of the respective sectors of the user's body and the anchoring portions ( 10 ) remain substantially unchanged;   the framework ( 5 ) being created with a resin, being placed on the inner side of the body ( 2 ) of the garment ( 1 ) and being in direct contact with the user's skin;   said garment being characterized in that the body of the garment comprises a plurality of portions provided with more compact stitches than remaining parts of the body of the garment and intended to correspond with the anchoring portions and the active portions of the framework, the method comprising the steps of:   a) producing a body of the garment having elasticity and intended to be worn by a user for adhering to a portion of the user's body;   b) producing a continuous and elastic framework comprising a plurality of anchoring portions and a plurality of active portions, each intended to coincide with respective sectors of the user's body, wherein said framework is structured so that, when the garment is worn by the user and the latter carries out a motor activity, the active portions deform themselves following the deformation of the respective sectors of the user's body and the anchoring portions remain substantially unchanged;   the step of producing an elastic framework comprising the following steps:   applying at least a first section of resin on a tubular fabric element intended to be a part of the body ( 2 ) of the garment; the tubular fabric element being able to have one closed end and being a knitted element;   hardening of the first section of resin in an oven;   the fabric element comprising a first zone and a second zone; the first zone having more compact stitches with respect to the second zone; the second zone being advantageously adjacent to the first zone;   the step of producing an elastic framework comprising the step of inserting a support in a space surrounded by the tubular shaped fabric element, the step of inserting the support being carried out before applying said first section of resin on the body ( 2 ) in such a way that the fabric element is partly stretched before application of the first section of resin; the support being extracted from the tubular element after applying the first section of resin and before placing the fabric element in the oven.   
     
     
         26 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein the step of applying at least a first section of resin includes the steps of:
 i) placing a template on the fabric element, the template having a zone which is impermeable to the resin and a zone which is permeable to the resin, the part which is permeable to the resin overlying at least in part the first zone of the fabric element; the permeable part overlying the reference mark of the support; the step of applying at least a first section of resin is carried out in a frame comprising means for the reciprocal positioning of said template and said support;   ii) causing the resin to pass through the permeable part of the template and to reach the fabric element;   the step of causing the resin to pass through the permeable part including:   application of a layer of resin on the template;   movement of a cursor over the template, pushing the resin applied on the template to pass through the permeable zone and reach the fabric element;   the permeable zone of the template comprising a grid and when the frame is laid over the fabric element, there is a space intended to accommodate the resin between the grid and the fabric element;   a surface of the framework intended to come into contact with the human skin has a surface provided with a plurality of raised areas and depressions which determine a suction effect on the user's skin which helps to maintain the framework in position; said raised areas and depressions being generated by said grid; the wires of the grid leave an impression on the resin before it hardens; a depression being therefore formed in correspondence with the wires of the grid.   
     
     
         27 . The method according to  claim 25 , wherein it comprises a step of creating visual reference means having at least one section shaped like a strip which overlies at least in part the first zone of the fabric element; these visual means of reference having a different colour with respect to the colour of the adjacent parts of the garment and the visual reference means and the resin framework are formed on two opposite surfaces of the fabric element; the step of creating the visual reference means precedes the step of producing the elastic framework; the step of creating the visual reference means comprising the step of printing these visual reference means; the step of printing the visual reference means being carried out in a silk screen process frame; the silk screen process frame comprising a stencil with a zone that is permeable to the dye used for the silk screen process and a zone that is impermeable to the dye;
 the step of printing these visual reference means being preceded by the step of inserting a stencil inside a space surrounded by the tubular fabric element to keep the fabric element partly taut; the step of inserting the stencil inside the fabric element including positioning visual references on the stencil in correspondence with the zone of the fabric element with more compact stitches; the correct positioning of the stencil with respect to the silk screen frame thus ensures that the zone of the stencil permeable to the dye used in the silk screen process is positioned in correspondence with the first zone of the fabric element.   
     
     
         28 . A method according to  claim 25 , wherein the garment is a garment for neuro-musculo-skeletal assistance. 
     
     
         29 . A garment according to  claim 18 , wherein the fabric is composed of a combination of yarns.